Apparatus, system and method of multicast communication

ABSTRACT

Some demonstrative embodiments include apparatuses, systems and/or methods of multicast communication. For example, an apparatus may include circuitry configured to cause a wireless device to process transmission of a multicast transmission to a plurality of devices; and to process reception of at least one Multi-User (MU) acknowledgement transmission from two or more devices of the plurality of devices, the MU acknowledgement transmission to acknowledge receipt of the multicast transmission by the two or more devices.

CROSS REFERENCE

This application claims the benefit of and priority from U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 62/115,276 entitled “Apparatus,System and Method of Multicast Communication”, filed Feb. 12, 2015, theentire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments described herein generally relate to multicastcommunication.

BACKGROUND

Multicast transmission is a technique that may be implemented, forexample, to provide higher efficiency, e.g., compared to separateunicast transmission.

In order to achieve an increased efficiency using a multicasttransmission, it may be required to ensure reliable multicasttransmission. Specifically, the transmitter of a multicast transmissionmay need to know, which stations do not receive the transmission, e.g.,so that any required retransmission can be performed.

There is a need for a multicast communication scheme, which may beconfigured to provide efficient communication, e.g., while achieving ahigh level of reliability.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements shown in thefigures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, thedimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to otherelements for clarity of presentation. Furthermore, reference numeralsmay be repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogouselements. The figures are listed below.

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram illustration of a system, inaccordance with some demonstrative embodiments.

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a multicast communication scheme,in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments.

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a multicast communicationsequence, in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments.

FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of a multicast communicationsequence, in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments.

FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of a multicast communicationsequence, in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments.

FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of a multicast communicationsequence, in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments.

FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration of an Aggregated Media Access Control(MAC) Protocol Data Unit (A-MPDU) including a multicast MPDU and atrigger MPDU, in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments.

FIG. 8 is a schematic illustration of an individual addressing scheme,in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments.

FIG. 9 is a schematic illustration of a group-addressing scheme, inaccordance with some demonstrative embodiments.

FIG. 10 is a schematic flow-chart illustration of a method of multicastcommunication, in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments.

FIG. 11 is a schematic flow-chart illustration of a method of multicastcommunication, in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments.

FIG. 12 is a schematic illustration of a product, in accordance withsome demonstrative embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are setforth in order to provide a thorough understanding of some embodiments.However, it will be understood by persons of ordinary skill in the artthat some embodiments may be practiced without these specific details.In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components, unitsand/or circuits have not been described in detail so as not to obscurethe discussion.

Discussions herein utilizing terms such as, for example, “processing”,“computing”, “calculating”, “determining”, “establishing”, “analyzing”,“checking”, or the like, may refer to operation(s) and/or process(es) ofa computer, a computing platform, a computing system, or otherelectronic computing device, that manipulate and/or transform datarepresented as physical (e.g., electronic) quantities within thecomputer's registers and/or memories into other data similarlyrepresented as physical quantities within the computer's registersand/or memories or other information storage medium that may storeinstructions to perform operations and/or processes.

The terms “plurality” and “a plurality”, as used herein, include, forexample, “multiple” or “two or more”. For example, “a plurality ofitems” includes two or more items.

References to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “demonstrativeembodiment”, “various embodiments” etc., indicate that the embodiment(s)so described may include a particular feature, structure, orcharacteristic, but not every embodiment necessarily includes theparticular feature, structure, or characteristic. Further, repeated useof the phrase “in one embodiment” does not necessarily refer to the sameembodiment, although it may.

As used herein, unless otherwise specified the use of the ordinaladjectives “first”, “second”, “third” etc., to describe a common object,merely indicate that different instances of like objects are beingreferred to, and are not intended to imply that the objects so describedmust be in a given sequence, either temporally, spatially, in ranking,or in any other manner.

Some embodiments may be used in conjunction with various devices andsystems, for example, a User Equipment (UE), a Mobile Device (MD), awireless station (STA), a Personal Computer (PC), a desktop computer, amobile computer, a laptop computer, a notebook computer, a tabletcomputer, a server computer, a handheld computer, a handheld device, anInternet of Things (IoT) device, a sensor device, a wearable device, aPersonal Digital Assistant (PDA) device, a handheld PDA device, anon-board device, an off-board device, a hybrid device, a vehiculardevice, a non-vehicular device, a mobile or portable device, a consumerdevice, a non-mobile or non-portable device, a wireless communicationstation, a wireless communication device, a wireless Access Point (AP),a wired or wireless router, a wired or wireless modem, a video device,an audio device, an audio-video (A/V) device, a wired or wirelessnetwork, a wireless area network, a Wireless Video Area Network (WVAN),a Local Area Network (LAN), a Wireless LAN (WLAN), a Personal AreaNetwork (PAN), a Wireless PAN (WPAN), and the like.

Some embodiments may be used in conjunction with devices and/or networksoperating in accordance with existing IEEE 802.11 standards (includingIEEE 802.11-2012 (IEEE 802.11-2012, IEEE Standard for Informationtechnology—Telecommunications and information exchange between systemsLocal and metropolitan area networks—Specific requirements Part 11:Wireless LAN Medium Access Control (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY)Specifications, Mar. 29, 2012); IEEE802.11ac-2013 (“IEEE P802.11ac-2013,IEEE Standard for Information Technology—Telecommunications andInformation Exchange Between Systems—Local and Metropolitan AreaNetworks—Specific Requirements—Part 11: Wireless LAN Medium AccessControl (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY) Specifications—Amendment 4:Enhancements for Very High Throughput for Operation in Bands below 6GHz”, December, 2013); IEEE 802.11ad (“IEEE P802.11ad-2012, IEEEStandard for Information Technology—Telecommunications and InformationExchange Between Systems—Local and Metropolitan Area Networks—SpecificRequirements—Part 11: Wireless LAN Medium Access Control (MAC) andPhysical Layer (PHY) Specifications—Amendment 3: Enhancements for VeryHigh Throughput in the 60 GHz Band”, 28 December, 2012);IEEE-802.11REVmc (“IEEE 802.11-REVmc™/D3.0, June 2014 draft standard forInformation technology—Telecommunications and information exchangebetween systems Local and metropolitan area networks Specificrequirements; Part 11: Wireless LAN Medium Access Control (MAC) andPhysical Layer (PHY) Specification”); IEEE 802.11 ax (IEEE 802.11ax,High Efficiency WLAN (HEW)); IEEE802.11-ay (P802.1lay Standard forInformation Technology—Telecommunications and Information ExchangeBetween Systems Local and Metropolitan Area Networks—SpecificRequirements Part 11: Wireless LAN Medium Access Control (MAC) andPhysical Layer (PHY) Specifications—Amendment: Enhanced Throughput forOperation in License-Exempt Bands Above 45 GHz)) and/or future versionsand/or derivatives thereof) and/or future versions and/or derivativesthereof, devices and/or networks operating in accordance with existingWireless-Gigabit-Alliance (WGA) specifications (Wireless GigabitAlliance, Inc WiGig MAC and PHY Specification Version 1.1, April 2011,Final specification) and/or future versions and/or derivatives thereof,devices and/or networks operating in accordance with existing WirelessFidelity (WiFi) Alliance (WFA) Peer-to-Peer (P2P) specifications (WiFiP2P technical specification, version 1.5, Aug. 4, 2014) and/or futureversions and/or derivatives thereof, devices and/or networks operatingin accordance with existing cellular specifications and/or protocols,e.g., 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), 3GPP Long TermEvolution (LTE) and/or future versions and/or derivatives thereof,devices and/or networks operating in accordance with existing Bluetooth(BT) specifications and/or protocols and/or future versions and/orderivatives thereof, units and/or devices which are part of the abovenetworks, and the like.

Some embodiments may be used in conjunction with one way and/or two-wayradio communication systems, multi-radio devices, cellularradio-telephone communication systems, a User Equipment (UE), a mobiledevice, a wireless station (STA), an access terminal, a mobile phone, acellular telephone, a wireless telephone, a Personal CommunicationSystems (PCS) device, a PDA device which incorporates a wirelesscommunication device, a mobile or portable Global Positioning System(GPS) device, a device which incorporates a GPS receiver or transceiveror chip, a device which incorporates an RFID element or chip, a MultipleInput Multiple Output (MIMO) transceiver or device, a Single InputMultiple Output (SIMO) transceiver or device, a Multiple Input SingleOutput (MISO) transceiver or device, a device having one or moreinternal antennas and/or external antennas, Digital Video Broadcast(DVB) devices or systems, multi-standard radio devices or systems, awired or wireless handheld device, e.g., a Smartphone, a WirelessApplication Protocol (WAP) device, a Mobile Internet Device (MID), orthe like.

Some embodiments may be used in conjunction with one or more types ofwireless communication signals and/or systems, for example, RadioFrequency (RF), Infra Red (IR), Frequency-Division Multiplexing (FDM),Orthogonal FDM (OFDM), Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access(OFDMA), Spatial Divisional Multiple Access (SDMA), Multi-User (MU) MIMO(MU-MIMO), Single Carrier Frequency-Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA),Time-Division Multiplexing (TDM), Time-Division Multiple Access (TDMA),Extended TDMA (E-TDMA), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), extendedGPRS, Code-Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband CDMA (WCDMA), CDMA2000, single-carrier CDMA, multi-carrier CDMA, Multi-Carrier Modulation(MDM), Discrete Multi-Tone (DMT), Bluetooth®, Global Positioning System(GPS), BT, BLE, Wi-Fi, Wi-Max, ZigBee™, Ultra-Wideband (UWB), GlobalSystem for Mobile communication (GSM), 2G, 2.5G, 3G, 3.5G, 4G, FifthGeneration (5G) mobile networks, 3GPP, Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTEadvanced, High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), High-Speed UplinkPacket Access (HSUPA), High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA), HSPA+, SingleCarrier Radio Transmission Technology (1×RTT), Evolution-Data Optimized(EV-DO), Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), and the like.Other embodiments may be used in various other devices, systems and/ornetworks.

The term “wireless device”, as used herein, includes, for example, adevice capable of wireless communication, a communication device capableof wireless communication, a communication station capable of wirelesscommunication, a portable or non-portable device capable of wirelesscommunication, or the like. In some demonstrative embodiments, awireless device may be or may include a peripheral that is integratedwith a computer, or a peripheral that is attached to a computer. In somedemonstrative embodiments, the term “wireless device” may optionallyinclude a wireless service.

The term “communicating” as used herein with respect to a communicationsignal includes transmitting the communication signal and/or receivingthe communication signal. For example, a communication unit, which iscapable of communicating a communication signal, may include atransmitter to transmit the communication signal to at least one othercommunication unit, and/or a communication receiver to receive thecommunication signal from at least one other communication unit. Theverb communicating may be used to refer to the action of transmitting orthe action of receiving. In one example, the phrase “communicating asignal” may refer to the action of transmitting the signal by a firstdevice, and may not necessarily include the action of receiving thesignal by a second device. In another example, the phrase “communicatinga signal” may refer to the action of receiving the signal by a firstdevice, and may not necessarily include the action of transmitting thesignal by a second device.

Some demonstrative embodiments may be used in conjunction with a WLAN,e.g., a Wi-Fi or WiFi network, or a WLAN according to the IEEE 802Standards (also referred to as “the 802 network”). Other embodiments maybe used in conjunction with any other suitable wireless communicationnetwork, for example, a wireless area network, a “piconet”, a WPAN, aWVAN and the like.

Some demonstrative embodiments may be used in conjunction with a LTEcellular network. However, other embodiments may be used in conjunctionwith any other suitable cellular network, e.g., a 3G cellular network, a4G cellular network, a 5G cellular network, a WiMax cellular network,and the like.

As used herein, the term “circuitry” may refer to, be part of, orinclude, an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), anintegrated circuit, an electronic circuit, a processor (shared,dedicated, or group), and/or memory (shared, dedicated, or group), thatexecute one or more software or firmware programs, a combinational logiccircuit, and/or other suitable hardware components that provide thedescribed functionality. In some embodiments, the circuitry may beimplemented in, or functions associated with the circuitry may beimplemented by, one or more software or firmware modules. In someembodiments, circuitry may include logic, at least partially operable inhardware.

The term “antenna”, as used herein, may include any suitableconfiguration, structure and/or arrangement of one or more antennaelements, components, units, assemblies and/or arrays. In someembodiments, the antenna may implement transmit and receivefunctionalities using separate transmit and receive antenna elements. Insome embodiments, the antenna may implement transmit and receivefunctionalities using common and/or integrated transmit/receiveelements. The antenna may include, for example, a phased array antenna,a single element antenna, a set of switched beam antennas, and/or thelike.

Some demonstrative embodiments are described herein with respect to WiFicommunication, e.g., in accordance with a WiFi standard. However, otherembodiments may be implemented with respect to any other communicationscheme, network, standard and/or protocol.

Reference is now made to FIG. 1, which schematically illustrates a blockdiagram of a system 100, in accordance with some demonstrativeembodiments.

In some demonstrative embodiments, system 100 may include a wirelesscommunication network including one or more wireless communicationdevices, e.g., wireless communication devices 102, 132, 160, 170, and/or180, capable of communicating content, data, information and/or signalsover a wireless medium 103.

In some demonstrative embodiments, wireless medium 103 may include, forexample, a radio channel, a cellular channel, an RF channel, a WLANchannel, a Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) channel, an IR channel, and thelike. One or more elements of system 100 may optionally be capable ofcommunicating over any suitable wired communication links.

In some demonstrative embodiments, wireless communication devices 102,132, 160, 170, and/or 180 may include, for example, a UE, an MD, a STA,an AP, a PC, a desktop computer, a mobile computer, a laptop computer,an Ultrabook™ computer, a notebook computer, a tablet computer, a servercomputer, a handheld computer, a handheld device, a sensor device, anInternet of Things (IoT) device, a wearable device, a PDA device, ahandheld PDA device, an on-board device, an off-board device, a hybriddevice (e.g., combining cellular phone functionalities with PDA devicefunctionalities), a consumer device, a vehicular device, a non-vehiculardevice, a mobile or portable device, a non-mobile or non-portabledevice, a mobile phone, a cellular telephone, a PCS device, a PDA devicewhich incorporates a wireless communication device, a mobile or portableGPS device, a DVB device, a relatively small computing device, anon-desktop computer, a “Carry Small Live Large” (CSLL) device, an UltraMobile Device (UMD), an Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC), a Mobile Internet Device(MID), an “Origami” device or computing device, a device that supportsDynamically Composable Computing (DCC), a context-aware device, a videodevice, an audio device, an A/V device, a Set-Top-Box (STB), a Blu-raydisc (BD) player, a BD recorder, a Digital Video Disc (DVD) player, aHigh Definition (HD) DVD player, a DVD recorder, a HD DVD recorder, aPersonal Video Recorder (PVR), a broadcast HD receiver, a video source,an audio source, a video sink, an audio sink, a stereo tuner, abroadcast radio receiver, a flat panel display, a Personal Media Player(PMP), a digital video camera (DVC), a digital audio player, a speaker,an audio receiver, an audio amplifier, a gaming device, a data source, adata sink, a Digital Still camera (DSC), a media player, a Smartphone, atelevision, a music player, or the like.

In some demonstrative embodiments, system 100 may include one or morestations, for example, including one or more AP stations (AP STA) and/orone or more non-AP stations, e.g., client STAs. In one example, device102 may perform the functionality of an AP, e.g., a WiFi AP, an accessnode, a base station, a router, and the like; and/or wirelesscommunication devices 132, 160, 170, and/or 180 may perform thefunctionality of non-AP stations.

In one example, a station (STA) may include a logical entity that is asingly addressable instance of a medium access control (MAC) andphysical layer (PHY) interface to the wireless medium (WM). The STA mayperform any other additional or alternative functionality.

In one example, an AP may include an entity that contains a station(STA), e.g., one STA, and provides access to distribution services, viathe wireless medium (WM) for associated STAs. The AP may perform anyother additional or alternative functionality.

In other embodiments, wireless communication devices 102, 132, 160, 170,and/or 180 may include, may operate as, and/or may perform thefunctionality of, any other device or station.

In some demonstrative embodiments, wireless communication devices 102,132, 160, 170, and/or 180 may be capable of communicating content, data,information and/or signals via wireless medium 103. In somedemonstrative embodiments, wireless medium 103 may include, for example,a radio channel, a cellular channel, an RF channel, a WiFi channel, anIR channel, a Bluetooth (BT) channel, a Global Navigation SatelliteSystem (GNSS) Channel, and the like.

In some demonstrative embodiments, wireless communication devices 102,132, 160, 170, and/or 180 may include one or more radios includingcircuitry and/or logic configured to perform wireless communicationbetween devices 102, 132, 160, 170, 180, and/or one or more otherwireless communication devices. For example, device 102 may include atleast one radio 184, and/or device 132 may include at least one radio194.

In some demonstrative embodiments, radios 184 and/or 194 may include oneor more wireless receivers (Rx) including circuitry and/or logicconfigured to receive wireless communication signals, RF signals,frames, blocks, transmission streams, packets, messages, data items,and/or data. For example, radio 184 may include at least one receiver106, and/or radio 194 may include at least one receiver 136.

In some demonstrative embodiments, radios 184 and/or 194 may include oneor more wireless transmitters (Tx) including circuitry and/or logicconfigured to send wireless communication signals, RF signals, frames,blocks, transmission streams, packets, messages, data items, and/ordata. For example, radio 184 may include at least one transmitter 104,and/or radio 194 may include at least one transmitter 134.

In some demonstrative embodiments, radios 184 and/or 194, transmitters104 and/or 134, and/or receivers 106 and/or 136 may include circuitry;logic; Radio Frequency (RF) elements, circuitry and/or logic; basebandelements, circuitry and/or logic; modulation elements, circuitry and/orlogic; demodulation elements, circuitry and/or logic; amplifiers; analogto digital and/or digital to analog converters; filters; and/or thelike. For example, radio 114 and/or radio 144 may include or may beimplemented as part of a wireless Network Interface Card (NIC), and thelike.

In some demonstrative embodiments, radios 184 and/or 194 may include, ormay be associated with, one or more antennas 108 and/or 138,respectively.

In one example, device 102 may include a single antenna 108. In anotherexample, device 102 may include two or more antennas 108.

In one example, device 132 may include a single antenna 138. In anotherexample, device 132 may include two or more antennas 138.

Antennas 108 and/or 138 may include any type of antennas suitable totransmit and/or receive wireless communication signals, blocks, frames,transmission streams, packets, messages and/or data. For example,antennas 108 and/or 138 may include any suitable configuration,structure and/or arrangement of one or more antenna elements,components, units, assemblies and/or arrays. Antennas 108 and/or 138 mayinclude, for example, antennas suitable for directional communication,e.g., using beamforming techniques. For example, antennas 108 and/or 138may include a phased array antenna, a multiple element antenna, a set ofswitched beam antennas, and/or the like. In some embodiments, antennas108 and/or 138 may implement transmit and receive functionalities usingseparate transmit and receive antenna elements. In some embodiments,antennas 108 and/or 138 may implement transmit and receivefunctionalities using common and/or integrated transmit/receiveelements.

In some demonstrative embodiments, wireless communication device 102,132, 160, 170, and/or 180 may include a controller configured to performone or more communications, to generate and/or communicate one or moremessages and/or transmissions, and/or to perform one or morefunctionalities, operations and/or procedures by and/or between devices102, 132, 160, 170, and/or 180 and/or other devices, and/or any otherfunctionality, e.g., as described below. For example, device 102 mayinclude a controller 110, and/or device 132 may include a controller140.

In some demonstrative embodiments, controllers 110 and/or 140 mayinclude circuitry and/or logic, e.g., one or more processors includingcircuitry and/or logic, memory circuitry and/or logic, Media-AccessControl (MAC) circuitry and/or logic, Physical Layer (PHY) circuitryand/or logic, and/or any other circuitry and/or logic, configured toperform the functionality of controllers 110 and/or 140. Additionally oralternatively, one or more functionalities of controllers 110 and/or 140may be implemented by logic, which may be executed by a machine and/orone or more processors, e.g., as described below.

In one example, controller 110 may include circuitry and/or logic, forexample, one or more processors including circuitry and/or logic, tocause, trigger and/or control a wireless device, e.g., device 102,and/or a wireless station, e.g., a wireless STA implemented by device102, to perform one or more operations, communications and/orfunctionalities, e.g., as described herein.

In one example, controller 140 may include circuitry and/or logic, forexample, one or more processors including circuitry and/or logic, tocause, trigger and/or control a wireless device, e.g., device 132,and/or a wireless station, e.g., a wireless STA implemented by device132, to perform one or more operations, communications and/orfunctionalities, e.g., as described herein.

In some demonstrative embodiments, device 102 may include a messageprocessor 111 configured to generate, process and/or access one ormessages communicated by device 102.

In one example, message processor 111 may be configured to generate oneor more messages to be transmitted by device 102, and/or messageprocessor 111 may be configured to access and/or to process one or moremessages received by device 102, e.g., as described below.

In some demonstrative embodiments, device 132 may include a messageprocessor 141 configured to generate, process and/or access one ormessages communicated by device 132.

In one example, message processor 141 may be configured to generate oneor more messages to be transmitted by device 132, and/or messageprocessor 141 may be configured to access and/or to process one or moremessages received by device 132, e.g., as described below.

In some demonstrative embodiments, message processors 111 and/or 141 mayinclude circuitry and/or logic, e.g., one or more processors includingcircuitry and/or logic, memory circuitry and/or logic, Media-AccessControl (MAC) circuitry and/or logic, Physical Layer (PHY) circuitryand/or logic, and/or any other circuitry and/or logic, configured toperform the functionality of message processors 111 and/or 141.Additionally or alternatively, one or more functionalities of messageprocessors 111 and/or 141 may be implemented by logic, which may beexecuted by a machine and/or one or more processors, e.g., as describedbelow.

In some demonstrative embodiments, at least part of the functionality ofmessage processor 111 may be implemented as part of radio 184, and/or atleast part of the functionality of message processor 141 may beimplemented as part of radio 194.

In some demonstrative embodiments, at least part of the functionality ofmessage processor 111 may be implemented as part of controller 110,and/or at least part of the functionality of message processor 141 maybe implemented as part of controller 140.

In other embodiments, the functionality of message processor 111 may beimplemented as part of any other element of device 102, and/or thefunctionality of message processor 141 may be implemented as part of anyother element of device 132.

In some demonstrative embodiments, at least part of the functionality ofcontroller 110 and/or message processor 111 may be implemented by anintegrated circuit, for example, a chip, e.g., a System on Chip (SoC).In one example, the chip or SoC may be configured to perform one or morefunctionalities of radio 184. For example, the chip or SoC may includeone or more elements of controller 110, one or more elements of messageprocessor 111, and/or one or more elements of radio 184. In one example,controller 110, message processor 111, and radio 184 may be implementedas part of the chip or SoC.

In other embodiments, controller 110, message processor 111 and/or radio184 may be implemented by one or more additional or alternative elementsof device 102.

In some demonstrative embodiments, at least part of the functionality ofcontroller 140 and/or message processor 141 may be implemented by anintegrated circuit, for example, a chip, e.g., a System on Chip (SoC).In one example, the chip or SoC may be configured to perform one or morefunctionalities of radio 194. For example, the chip or SoC may includeone or more elements of controller 140, one or more elements of messageprocessor 141, and/or one or more elements of radio 194. In one example,controller 140, message processor 141, and radio 194 may be implementedas part of the chip or SoC.

In other embodiments, controller 140, message processor 141 and/or radio194 may be implemented by one or more additional or alternative elementsof device 132.

In some demonstrative embodiments, wireless communication device 102 mayalso include, for example, a processor 112, an input unit 118, an outputunit 120, a memory unit 114, and/or a storage unit 116; and/or wirelesscommunication devices 132, 160, 170, and/or 180 may also include, forexample, a processor 142, an input unit 148, an output unit 150, amemory unit 144, and/or a storage unit 146. Wireless communicationdevices 102, 132, 160, 170, and/or 180 may optionally include othersuitable hardware components and/or software components. In somedemonstrative embodiments, some or all of the components of wirelesscommunication devices 102, 132, 160, 170, and/or 180 may be enclosed ina common housing or packaging, and may be interconnected or operablyassociated using one or more wired or wireless links. In otherembodiments, components of wireless communication devices 102, 132, 160,170, and/or 180 may be distributed among multiple or separate devices.

In some demonstrative embodiments, processor 112 and/or processor 142may include, for example, a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a DigitalSignal Processor (DSP), one or more processor cores, a single-coreprocessor, a dual-core processor, a multiple-core processor, amicroprocessor, a host processor, a controller, a plurality ofprocessors or controllers, a chip, a microchip, one or more circuits,circuitry, a logic unit, an Integrated Circuit (IC), anApplication-Specific IC (ASIC), or any other suitable multi-purpose orspecific processor or controller. Processor 112 executes instructions,for example, of an Operating System (OS) of device 102 and/or of one ormore suitable applications. Processor 142 executes instructions, forexample, of an Operating System (OS) of device 132 and/or of one or moresuitable applications.

In some demonstrative embodiments, input unit 118 and/or input unit 148may include, for example, a keyboard, a keypad, a mouse, a touch-screen,a touch-pad, a track-ball, a stylus, a microphone, or other suitablepointing device or input device. Output unit 120 and/or output unit 150may include, for example, a monitor, a screen, a touch-screen, a flatpanel display, a Light Emitting Diode (LED) display unit, a LiquidCrystal Display (LCD) display unit, a plasma display unit, one or moreaudio speakers or earphones, or other suitable output devices.

In some demonstrative embodiments, memory unit 114 and/or memory unit144 may include, for example, a Random Access Memory (RAM), a Read OnlyMemory (ROM), a Dynamic RAM (DRAM), a Synchronous DRAM (SD-RAM), a flashmemory, a volatile memory, a non-volatile memory, a cache memory, abuffer, a short term memory unit, a long term memory unit, or othersuitable memory units. Storage unit 116 and/or storage unit 146 mayinclude, for example, a hard disk drive, a floppy disk drive, a CompactDisk (CD) drive, a CD-ROM drive, a DVD drive, or other suitableremovable or non-removable storage units. Memory unit 114 and/or storageunit 116, for example, may store data processed by device 102. Memoryunit 144 and/or storage unit 146, for example, may store data processedby device 132.

In some demonstrative embodiments, devices 102, 132, 160, 170, and/or180 may be configured to perform multicast communication, e.g., asdescribed below.

Reference is to FIG. 2, which schematically illustrates a multicastcommunication scheme 200, in accordance with some demonstrativeembodiments.

In some demonstrative embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, a device 202 mayoperate as a multicast transmitter station, denoted TX1, to transmit amulticast transmission to a plurality of multicast receiver stations,denoted STA1, STA2, STA3, and STA4.

For example, device 102 (FIG. 1) may operate as, and/or perform thefunctionality of, multicast transmitter station 202, and/or devices 132,160, 170, and/or 180 (FIG. 1) may operate as, and/or perform thefunctionality of, the plurality of multicast receiver stations, e.g.,STA1, STA2, STA3, and/or STA4.

In some demonstrative embodiments, in order to achieve an increasedefficiency using a multicast transmission, it may be required to ensurereliable multicast transmission. For example, it may be advantageous formulticast transmitter station 202 to know, which multicast receiverstations do not receive the transmission, e.g., so that any requiredretransmission can be performed.

In some demonstrative embodiments, a multicast communication schemeusing redundant retransmission or high overhead, for example, for asequential acknowledgement procedure, may sacrifice an efficiency of themulticast transmission, e.g., in order to provide reliable multicasttransmission.

In some demonstrative embodiments, a Directed Multicast Service (DMS)mode may not be efficient in some scenarios and/or implementations. Forexample, the DMS mode may include sending packets, e.g., duplicatingover-the-air directly to each receiver, and sending separateacknowledgement requests and random retransmissions of unacknowledgedpackets to each receiver.

In some demonstrative embodiments, a Groupcast with Retries (GCR) BlockAcknowledgement (ACK) (BA) mode may not be efficient in some scenariosand/or implementations. For example, the GCR BA mode may include sendingthe packets as multicast transmissions to a plurality of devices, andharvesting reception status from one or more, e.g., all, devices of theplurality of devices through sequential Block Acknowledgement Request(BAR), and Block Acknowledgement Response. The GCR mode may includerandomly retransmitting the unacknowledged packets, e.g., based uponBlock Acknowledgement responses.

In some demonstrative embodiments, a GCR Unsolicited (GCR-U) retry modemay not be efficient in some scenarios and/or implementations. Forexample, the GCR-U mode may include sending a frame a pre-defined numberof times to a plurality of devices, e.g., without the plurality ofdevices acknowledging any received transmission.

In some demonstrative embodiments, performing the multicast transmissionrelying on modes such as a separate unicast transmission, e.g.,according to the DMS mode, a sequential BAR/BA sequence, e.g., accordingto the GCR-BA mode, and/or an unsolicited retry, e.g., according to theGCR-U mode, may decrease efficiency and/or increase an overhead.

Referring back to FIG. 1, in some demonstrative embodiments, devices102, 132, 160, 170, and/or 180 may be configured to communicate amulticast transmission utilizing a multicast communication scheme, whichmay be configured, for example, to provide at least efficientcommunication, e.g., in terms of overhead of acknowledgements and/orretransmission, and/or for example, while achieving at least anincreased and/or improved level of reliability, and/or to provide anyadditional or alternative improvements, benefits and/or advantages,e.g., as described below.

In some demonstrative embodiments, devices 102, 132, 160, 170, and/or180 may be configured to utilize a Multi-User (MU) acknowledgementscheme, for example, a MU Block ACK or ACK (“MU Block ACK/ACK”) scheme,for to communicate acknowledgements of the multicast transmission, e.g.,as described below.

In some demonstrative embodiments, the MU Block ACK/ACK scheme may, forexample, enable at least to reduce overhead, provide reliable multicasttransmission, and/or any additional or alternative improvements,benefits and/or advantages.

In some demonstrative embodiments, devices 102, 132, 160, 170, and/or180 may be configured to perform a MU communication, for example,including an OFDMA transmission, and/or a MU Block ACK/ACK for Uplink(UL) or a Downlink (DL) MU transmission, e.g., as described below.

In some demonstrative embodiments, devices 102, 132, 160, 170, and/or180 may be configured to utilize the MU Block ACK/ACK scheme, forexample, to provide a potential for a multicast transmitter station,e.g., device 102, to transmit at least one multicast transmission, whichmay be acknowledged by at least one MU Block ACK/ACK transmission, e.g.,as described below.

For example, transmitting the multicast transmission may be followed bythe MU Block ACK/ACK transmission, for example, to enable at leastincreased the efficiency and/or to reduce the overhead of theacknowledgement.

In some demonstrative embodiments, devices 102, 132, 160, 170, and/or180 may be configured to process communication of the multicasttransmission to two or more devices, e.g., based on the MU Block ACK/ACKscheme.

In some demonstrative embodiments, controller 110 may be configured tocontrol, cause, and/or trigger transmitter 104 to process transmissionof the multicast transmission to a plurality of devices, e.g., todevices 132, 160, 170, and/or 180.

In some demonstrative embodiments, controller 110 may be configured tocontrol, cause, and/or trigger receiver 106 to process reception of atleast one MU ACK transmission from two or more devices of the pluralityof devices. The MU ACK transmission may be configured to acknowledgereceipt of the multicast transmission by the two or more devices, e.g.,as described below.

For example, controller 140 may be configured to control, cause, and/ortrigger a multicast receiver station implemented by device 132 toprocess reception of the multicast frame from device 102, and totransmit an acknowledgement as part of MU ACK, e.g., over an OFDMAresource unit (RU) of the MU ACK frame, which may be allocated for themulticast receiver, e.g., as described below.

For example, receiver 106 may receive at least one MU ACK transmissionfrom two or more devices of devices 132, 160, 170, and/or 180. The MUACK transmission may acknowledge receipt of the multicast transmissionby the two or more devices of devices 132, 160, 170, and/or 180.

In some demonstrative embodiments, the MU ACK transmission may include aMU normal ACK transmission, a MU Block ACK transmission, and/or anyother type of acknowledgement transmission.

In some demonstrative embodiments, the MU acknowledgement may include anormal MU acknowledgement, e.g., as described below.

In some demonstrative embodiments, the MU acknowledgement may include aMU Block acknowledgement, e.g., as described below.

In some demonstrative embodiments, the MU Block ACK/ACK transmission mayinclude an OFDMA transmission, e.g., as described below.

In some demonstrative embodiments, controller 110 may be configured tocontrol, cause, and/or trigger receiver 106 to process reception of atleast one MU ACK transmission, e.g., a single MU ACK transmission or aplurality of MU ACK transmissions, from all of the plurality of devices,for example, subsequent, e.g., immediately subsequent, to the multicasttransmission, e.g., as described below with reference to FIG. 3.

For example, receiver 106 may receive the MU ACK transmission from allof the plurality of devices 132, 160, 170, and/or 180.

Reference is made to FIG. 3, which schematically illustrates a multicastcommunication sequence 300, in accordance with some demonstrativeembodiments.

In some demonstrative embodiments, multicast communication sequence 300may be configured to communicate a multicast transmission from amulticast transmitter station, e.g., multicast transmitter station 202(FIG. 2), to a plurality of multicast receiver stations, for example,four multicast receiver stations, e.g., the stations STA1, STA2, STA3,and STA4.

In some demonstrative embodiments, the multicast transmitter station andthe plurality of multicast receiver stations may be configured toutilize a MU Block ACK/ACK scheme, which may include, for example,performing a multicast communication according to a multicastcommunication procedure, method, process and/or protocol, e.g., asdescribed below.

In some demonstrative embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3, the multicasttransmitter station may transmit a multicast transmission 302 to STA1,STA2, STA3, and/or STA4.

For example, controller 110 (FIG. 1) may be configured to control,cause, and/or trigger the multicast transmitter station implemented bydevice 102 (FIG. 1), to process transmission of multicast transmission302 to a plurality of multicast receiver stations, e.g., the pluralityof multicast receiver stations implemented by devices 132, 160, 170,and/or 180 (FIG. 1). For example, controller 140 (FIG. 1) may beconfigured to control, cause, and/or trigger the multicast transmitterstation implemented by device 132 (FIG. 1) to operate as one of STA1,ST2, ST3 or ST4 of FIG. 3.

In some demonstrative embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3, the multicasttransmitter station may receive a MU ACK transmission, for example, asingle MU ACK transmission 304 from all of the plurality of multicastreceiver stations, e.g., STA1, STA2, STA3, and/or STA4, for example, toacknowledge receipt of multicast transmission 302.

For example, controller 140 (FIG. 1) may be configured to control,cause, and/or trigger a multicast receiver station implemented by device132 (FIG. 1) to process reception of the multicast frame 302, and totransmit an acknowledgement as part of MU ACK 304, e.g., over an OFDMAresource unit (RU) of MU ACK frame 304, which may be allocated for themulticast receiver, e.g., as described below.

For example, controller 110 (FIG. 1) may be configured to control,cause, and/or trigger the multicast transmitter station to processreception of the single MU ACK transmission 304 from all of theplurality of multicast receiver stations, e.g., to acknowledge receiptof multicast transmission 302.

In some demonstrative embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3, the multicasttransmitter station may receive a MU ACK transmission 304, for example,immediately subsequent to and/or in response to multicast transmission302. For example, the MU ACK transmission 304 may be triggered bymulticast transmission 302.

Referring back to FIG. 1, in some demonstrative embodiments, controller110 may be configured to control, cause, and/or trigger receiver 106 toprocess reception of at least one MU ACK transmission from the pluralityof devices 132, 160, 170, and/or 180, e.g., immediately subsequent tothe multicast transmission.

For example, as shown in FIG. 3, receiver 106 may receive the MU ACKtransmission 304 (FIG. 3) immediately subsequent to the multicasttransmission 302 (FIG. 3), for example, if devices 102, 132, 160, 170,and/or 180 are synchronized.

In other demonstrative embodiments, controller 110 may be configured tocontrol, cause, and/or trigger transmitter 104 to process transmissionof at least one trigger frame to trigger at least one MU ACKtransmission from devices 132, 160, 170, and/or 180.

For example, transmitter 104 may transmit the trigger frame to performuplink synchronization between device 102 and devices 132, 160, 170,and/or 180, for example, to schedule and/or synchronize the transmissionof the at least one MU ACK transmission.

In some demonstrative embodiments, a timing of the MU ACK transmission,e.g., from devices 132, 160, 170 and/or 180, may be based on an endtiming point of the multicast transmission, or the trigger frame, forexample, with an addition of a common interval, e.g., a Short InterframeSpace (SIFS), or any other interval.

In some demonstrative embodiments, controller 110 may be configured tocontrol, cause, and/or trigger transmitter 104 to process transmissionof a first trigger frame to trigger a first MU ACK transmission from afirst group of two or more devices of the plurality of devices 132, 160,170, and/or 180, e.g., devices 132 and 160.

In some demonstrative embodiments, controller 110 may be configured tocontrol, cause, and/or trigger transmitter 104 to process transmissionof a second trigger frame, e.g., different from the first trigger frame,to trigger a second MU ACK transmission from a second group of two ormore devices of the plurality of devices 132, 160, 170, and/or 180,e.g., devices 170 and 180.

In some demonstrative embodiments, controller 110 may be configured tocontrol, cause, and/or trigger receiver 106 to process reception of atleast the first and the second MU ACK transmissions, e.g., toacknowledge the multicast transmission.

In some demonstrative embodiments, controller 110 may be configured tocontrol, cause, and/or trigger receiver 106 to process reception of thefirst MU ACK from the first group of two or more devices of theplurality of devices 132, 160, 170, and/or 180, e.g., subsequent to thefirst trigger frame.

In some demonstrative embodiments, controller 110 may be configured tocontrol, cause, and/or trigger receiver 106 to process reception of thesecond MU ACK from the second group of two or more devices of theplurality of devices 132, 160, 170, and/or 180, e.g., subsequent to thesecond trigger frame.

For example, transmitter 104 may transmit the first trigger frame totrigger the first MU ACK transmission from the first group of two ormore devices, e.g., devices 132 and 160, and to transmit the secondtrigger frame to trigger the second MU ACK transmission from the secondgroup of two or more devices, e.g., devices 170 and 180, e.g., asdescribed below with respect to FIG. 4.

For example, controller 140 may be configured to control, cause, and/ortrigger a multicast receiver station implemented by device 132 toprocess reception of the first trigger frame or the second triggerframe, and to transmit an acknowledgement as part of a MU ACK, e.g.,over an OFDMA resource unit (RU) of the MU ACK, which may be allocatedfor the multicast receiver, e.g., as described below with reference toFIG. 4.

Reference is made to FIG. 4, which schematically illustrates a multicastcommunication sequence 400, in accordance with some demonstrativeembodiments.

In some demonstrative embodiments, multicast communication sequence 400may be configured to communicate a multicast transmission from amulticast transmitter station, e.g., multicast transmitter station 202(FIG. 2), to a plurality of multicast receiver stations, for example,four multicast receiver stations, e.g., the stations STA1, STA2, STA3,and STA4.

In some demonstrative embodiments, the multicast transmitter station andthe plurality of multicast receiver stations may be configured toutilize multicast communication sequence 400, which may include, forexample, performing a multicast communication according to a multicastcommunication procedure, method, process and/or protocol, e.g., asdescribed below.

In some demonstrative embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4, the multicasttransmitter station and the plurality of multicast receiver stations maybe configured to utilize a MU Block ACK/ACK scheme, which may include,for example, performing a multicast communication including thecommunication of a multicast transmission followed by one or more, e.g.,multiple, trigger frames, and one or more, e.g., multiple, MU ACKtransmissions, e.g., as described below.

In some demonstrative embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4, the multicasttransmitter station may transmit a multicast transmission 402 to STA1,STA2, STA3, and/or STA4.

For example, controller 110 (FIG. 1) may be configured to control,cause, and/or trigger the multicast transmitter station implemented bydevice 102 (FIG. 1), to process transmission of a multicast transmission402 to the plurality of multicast receiver stations, e.g., the pluralityof multicast receiver stations implemented by devices 132, 160, 170,and/or 180 (FIG. 1). For example, controller 140 (FIG. 1) may beconfigured to control, cause, and/or trigger the multicast transmitterstation implemented by device 132 (FIG. 1) to operate as one of STA1,ST2, ST3 or ST4 of FIG. 4.

In some demonstrative embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4, the multicasttransmitter station may transmit a trigger frame 404 to STA1 and STA2,e.g., to trigger a MU ACK transmission 406 from STA1 and STA2, e.g.,subsequent to multicast transmission 402.

For example, controller 110 (FIG. 1) may be configured to control,cause, and/or trigger the multicast transmitter station to processtransmission of a first trigger frame, e.g., trigger frame 404, to afirst group of two or more multicast receiver stations of the pluralityof multicast receiver stations, e.g., STA1 and STA2, to trigger MU ACKtransmission 406 from STA1 and STA2, e.g., subsequent to multicasttransmission 402.

In some demonstrative embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4, the multicasttransmitter station may receive MU ACK transmission 406 from STA1 andSTA2, e.g., to acknowledge the receipt of multicast transmission 402.

For example, controller 110 (FIG. 1) may be configured to control,cause, and/or trigger the multicast transmitter station to processreception of a first MU ACK transmission, e.g., MU ACK transmission 406,from the first group of two or more multicast receiver stations of theplurality of multicast receiver stations, e.g., STA1 and STA2, toacknowledge the receipt of multicast transmission 402.

In some demonstrative embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4, the multicasttransmitter station may transmit a trigger frame 408 to STA3 and STA4,e.g., subsequent to the reception of MU ACK transmission 406.

For example, controller 110 (FIG. 1) may be configured to control,cause, and/or trigger the multicast transmitter station to processtransmission of a second trigger frame, e.g., trigger frame 408, to asecond group of two or more multicast receiver stations of the pluralityof multicast receiver stations, e.g., STA3 and STA4, to trigger a MU ACKtransmission 410 from STA3 and STA4, e.g., to acknowledge the receipt ofmulticast transmission 402.

In some demonstrative embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4, the multicasttransmitter station may receive MU ACK transmission 410 from STA3 andSTA4, e.g., to acknowledge the receipt of multicast transmission 402.

For example, controller 110 (FIG. 1) may be configured to control,cause, and/or trigger the multicast transmitter station to processreception of a second MU ACK transmission, e.g., MU ACK transmission410, from the second group of two or more multicast receiver stations ofthe plurality of multicast receiver stations, e.g., STA3 and STA4, forexample, to acknowledge the receipt of multicast transmission 402.

Referring back to FIG. 1, in some demonstrative embodiments, controller110 may be configured to control, cause, and/or trigger transmitter 104to process transmission of one multicast transmission to the pluralityof devices, e.g., as described above.

In other demonstrative embodiments, controller 110 may be configured tocontrol, cause, and/or trigger transmitter 104 to process transmissionof two or more multicast transmissions to the plurality of devices,e.g., as described below.

For example, transmitter 104 may transmit two or more multicasttransmissions to the plurality of devices 132, 160, 170, and/or 180,e.g., prior to transmitting the trigger frame, and/or receiving the MUACK transmission.

For example, controller 140 may be configured to control, cause, and/ortrigger a multicast receiver station implemented by device 132 toprocess reception of two or more multicast transmissions from device102, e.g., prior to receiving the trigger frame, and/or prior totransmitting the ACK as part of the MU ACK transmission, for example, asdescribed below with reference to FIG. 5.

In some demonstrative embodiments, controller 110 may be configured tocontrol, cause, and/or trigger transmitter 104 to process transmissionof a first trigger frame to trigger a first MU Block ACK transmissionfrom a first group of two or more devices of the plurality of devices132, 160, 170, and/or 180, e.g., devices 132 and 160, for example,subsequent to, e.g., immediately subsequent to, the two or moremulticast transmissions.

In some demonstrative embodiments, controller 110 may be configured tocontrol, cause, and/or trigger receiver 106 to process reception of thefirst MU Block ACK transmission from the first group of two or moredevices of the plurality of devices 132, 160, 170, and/or 180, e.g.,subsequent to the first trigger frame.

In some demonstrative embodiments, controller 110 may be configured tocontrol, cause, and/or trigger transmitter 104 to process transmissionof a second trigger frame, different from the first trigger frame, totrigger a second MU Block ACK transmission from a second group of two ormore devices of the plurality of devices 132, 160, 170, and/or 180,e.g., devices 170 and 180.

In some demonstrative embodiments, controller 110 may be configured tocontrol, cause, and/or trigger receiver 106 to process reception of asecond MU Block ACK transmission from the second group of two or moredevices of the plurality of devices 132, 160, 170, and/or 180, e.g.,subsequent to the second trigger frame, for example, to acknowledgereceipt of the multicast transmissions.

For example, transmitter 104 may transmit the first trigger frame totrigger the first MU Block ACK transmission from the first group of twoor more devices, e.g., devices 132 and 160, and to transmit the secondtrigger frame to trigger the second MU Block ACK transmission from thegroup of two or more devices, e.g., devices 170 and 180, e.g., asdescribed below with respect to FIG. 5.

Reference is made to FIG. 5, which schematically illustrates a multicastcommunication sequence 500, in accordance with some demonstrativeembodiments.

In some demonstrative embodiments, multicast communication sequence 500may be configured to communicate two or more multicast transmissionsfrom a multicast transmitter station, e.g., multicast transmitterstation 202 (FIG. 2), to a plurality of multicast receiver stations, forexample, four multicast receiver stations, e.g., the stations STAT,STA2, STA3, and STA4.

In some demonstrative embodiments, the multicast transmitter station,and the plurality of multicast receiver stations may be configured toutilize multicast communication sequence 500, which may include, forexample, performing a multicast communication according to a multicastcommunication procedure, method, process and/or protocol, e.g., asdescribed below.

In some demonstrative embodiments, as shown in FIG. 5, the multicasttransmitter station, and the plurality of receiver stations may beconfigured to utilize a MU Block ACK scheme, which may include, forexample, performing multicast communication including the communicationof multiple multicast transmissions, which may be followed by one ormore, e.g., multiple, trigger frames, and one or more, e.g., multiple,MU Block ACK transmissions, e.g., as described below.

In some demonstrative embodiments, as shown in FIG. 5, the multicasttransmitter station may transmit two multicast transmissions 502 and 504to STA1, STA2, STA3, and/or STA4, e.g., sequentially.

For example, controller 110 (FIG. 1) may be configured to control,cause, and/or trigger the multicast transmitter station implemented bydevice 102 (FIG. 1), to process transmission of two or more multicasttransmissions, e.g., including multicast transmissions 502 and 504, tothe plurality of multicast receiver stations, e.g., the plurality ofmulticast receiver stations implemented by devices 132, 160, 170, and/or180 (FIG. 1). For example, controller 140 (FIG. 1) may be configured tocontrol, cause, and/or trigger the multicast transmitter stationimplemented by device 132 (FIG. 1) to operate as one of STA1, ST2, ST3or ST4 of FIG. 5.

In some demonstrative embodiments, as shown in FIG. 5, the multicasttransmitter station may transmit a trigger frame 506 to STA1 and STA2,e.g., to trigger a MU Block ACK transmission from STA1 and STA2.

For example, controller 110 (FIG. 1) may be configured to control,cause, and/or trigger the multicast transmitter station to processtransmission of a first trigger frame, e.g., trigger frame 506, to afirst group of two or more multicast receiver stations of the pluralityof the receiver stations, e.g., STA1 and STA2, to trigger a MU Block ACKtransmission 508 from STA1 and STA2, e.g., subsequent to multicasttransmissions 502 and/or 504.

In some demonstrative embodiments, as shown in FIG. 5, the multicasttransmitter station may receive MU Block ACK transmission 508 from STA1and STA2, e.g., to acknowledge the receipt of multicast transmissions502 and/or 504.

For example, controller 110 (FIG. 1) may be configured to control,cause, and/or trigger the multicast transmitter station to processreception of a first MU ACK transmission, e.g., MU Block ACKtransmission 508, from the first group of two or more multicast receiverstations of the plurality of multicast receiver stations, e.g., STA1 andSTA2, e.g., to acknowledge a receipt of multicast transmissions 502and/or 504.

In some demonstrative embodiments, as shown in FIG. 5, the multicasttransmitter station may transmit a trigger frame 510 to STA3 and STA4 totrigger a MU Block ACK transmission 512 from STA3 and STA4, e.g., toacknowledge the receipt of multicast transmissions 502 and/or 504.

For example, controller 110 (FIG. 1) may be configured to control,cause, and/or trigger the multicast transmitter station to processtransmission of a second trigger frame, e.g., trigger frame 510, to asecond group of two or more multicast receiver stations of the pluralityof multicast receiver stations, e.g., STA3 and STA4, to trigger a MUBlock ACK transmission 512 from STA3 and STA4, e.g., to acknowledge thereceipt of multicast transmissions 502 and/or 504.

In some demonstrative embodiments, as shown in FIG. 5, the multicasttransmitter station may receive MU Block ACK transmission 512 from STA3and STA4, e.g., to acknowledge the receipt of multicast transmissions502 and/or 504.

For example, controller 110 (FIG. 1) may be configured to control,cause, and/or trigger the multicast transmitter station to processreception of a second MU Block ACK transmission, e.g., MU Block ACKtransmission 512, from the second group of two or more multicastreceiver stations of the plurality of multicast receiver stations, e.g.,STA3 and STA4, for example, to acknowledge the receipt of multicasttransmissions 502 and 504.

Referring back to FIG. 1, in some demonstrative embodiments, controller110 may be configured to control, cause, and/or trigger receiver 106 toprocess reception of a MU ACK transmission from the plurality of devices132, 160, 170, and/or 180 subsequent to the multicast transmission, forexample, even without transmitting a trigger frame, e.g., as describedabove with reference to FIG. 3.

In some demonstrative embodiments, controller 110 may be configured tocontrol, cause, and/or trigger receiver 106 to process reception of a MUACK transmission from the plurality of devices 132, 160, 170, and/or 180subsequent to a trigger frame, e.g., as described above with referenceto FIGS. 4 and/or 5.

In some demonstrative embodiments, controller 110 may be configured tocontrol, cause, and/or trigger radio 184 to process reception of a firstMU ACK transmission from a first group of two or more devices of theplurality of devices 132, 160, 170, and/or 180 subsequent to themulticast transmission, e.g., without using a trigger frame; and processtransmission of a trigger frame to trigger a second MU ACK transmissionfrom a second group of two or more devices of the plurality of devices132, 160, 170, and/or 180, e.g., subsequent to the first MU ACKtransmission, e.g., as described below.

For example, receiver 106 may receive the first MU ACK transmission fromthe group of two or more devices, e.g., devices 132 and 160, subsequentto the multicast transmission, and transmitter 104 may transmit thetrigger frame to trigger the second MU ACK transmission from the groupof two or more devices, e.g., devices 170 and 180, e.g., as describedbelow with respect to FIG. 6.

Reference is made to FIG. 6, which schematically illustrates a multicastcommunication sequence 600, in accordance with some demonstrativeembodiments.

In some demonstrative embodiments, multicast communication sequence 600may be configured to communicate a multicast transmission from amulticast transmitter station, e.g., multicast transmitter station 202(FIG. 2), to a plurality of multicast receiver stations, for example,four multicast receiver stations, e.g., the stations STA1, STA2, STA3,and STA4.

In some demonstrative embodiments, as shown in FIG. 6, the multicasttransmitter station and the plurality of multicast receiver stations maybe configured to utilize multicast communication sequence 600, which mayinclude, for example, performing a multicast communication according toa multicast communication procedure, method, process and/or protocol,e.g., as described below.

In some demonstrative embodiments, as shown in FIG. 6, the multicasttransmitter station and the plurality of multicast receiver stations maybe configured to utilize a MU Block ACK/ACK scheme, which may include,for example, performing multicast communication including thecommunication of a multicast transmission, which may be followed by a MUACK transmission, and one or more, e.g., multiple, trigger frames, totrigger one or more other MU ACK transmissions, e.g., as describedbelow.

In some demonstrative embodiments, as shown in FIG. 6, the multicasttransmitter station may transmit a multicast transmission 602 to STA1,STA2, STA3, and/or STA4.

For example, controller 110 (FIG. 1) may be configured to control,cause, and/or trigger the multicast transmitter station implemented bydevice 102 (FIG. 1), to process transmission of a multicast transmission602 to the plurality of multicast receiver stations, e.g., the pluralityof multicast receiver stations implemented by devices 132, 160, 170,and/or 180 (FIG. 1). For example, controller 140 (FIG. 1) may beconfigured to control, cause, and/or trigger the multicast transmitterstation implemented by device 132 (FIG. 1) to operate as one of STA1,ST2, ST3 or ST4 of FIG. 6.

In some demonstrative embodiments, as shown in FIG. 6, the multicasttransmitter station may receive a MU ACK transmission 604 from STA1 andSTA2, for example, immediately subsequent to multicast transmission 602,e.g., without transmitting a trigger frame.

For example, controller 110 (FIG. 1) may be configured to control,cause, and/or trigger the multicast transmitter station to processreception of a first MU ACK transmission, e.g., MU ACK transmission 604,from a first group of two or more multicast receiver stations of theplurality of multicast receiver stations, e.g., STAT and STA2, toacknowledge the receipt of multicast transmission 602, for example,subsequent to multicast transmission 602.

In some demonstrative embodiments, as shown in FIG. 6, the multicasttransmitter station may transmit a trigger frame 606 to STA3 and STA4 totrigger a MU ACK transmission 608.

For example, controller 110 (FIG. 1) may be configured to control,cause, and/or trigger the multicast transmitter station to processtransmission of trigger frame 606 to a second group of two or moremulticast receiver stations of the plurality of multicast receiverstations, e.g., STA3 and STA4, to trigger a second MU ACK transmission,e.g., MU ACK transmission 608, from the STA3 and STA4.

In some demonstrative embodiments, as shown in FIG. 6, the multicasttransmitter station may receive MU ACK transmission 608 from STA3 andSTA4, e.g., to acknowledge the receipt of multicast transmission 602.

For example, controller 110 (FIG. 1) may be configured to control,cause, and/or trigger the multicast transmitter station to processreception of the second MU ACK transmission 608 from the second group oftwo or more multicast receiver stations of the plurality of multicastreceiver stations, e.g., STA3 and STA4, for example, to acknowledge thereceipt of multicast transmission 602.

Referring back to FIG. 1, in some demonstrative embodiments, controller110 may be configured to control, cause, and/or trigger transmitter 104to process transmission of one or more multicast frames and/or one ormore trigger frames as separate transmissions, as individualtransmissions, as independent transmissions, and/or spaced-aparttransmissions, e.g., as described above.

In some demonstrative embodiments, controller 110 may be configured tocontrol, cause, and/or trigger transmitter 104 to process transmissionof a multicast transmission including one or more multicast framesfollowed by at least one trigger frame, e.g., as described below. Forexample, controller 1440 may be configured to control, cause, and/ortrigger receiver 136 to process reception of a multicast transmissionincluding one or more multicast frames followed by at least one triggerframe, e.g., as described below.

In some demonstrative embodiments, controller 110 may be configured tocontrol, cause, and/or trigger transmitter 104 to process transmissionof one or more multicast frames and one or more trigger frames as asequence of data units of an aggregated transmission, e.g., as describedbelow.

In some demonstrative embodiments, the aggregated transmission mayinclude a sequence of Aggregated MAC Protocol Data Units (A-MPDUs),e.g., as described below with respect to FIG. 7.

In other demonstrative embodiments, the aggregated transmission mayinclude any other type of aggregated data units.

Reference is made to FIG. 7, which schematically illustrates anAggregated MAC Service Data Unit (A-MPDU) transmission 700 including amulticast Protocol Data Unit (PDU) and a trigger PDU, in accordance withsome demonstrative embodiments.

In some demonstrative embodiments, communicating the multicasttransmission and the trigger as part of A-MPDU transmission 700 mayincrease throughput and decrease an overhead of a system, e.g., system100 (FIG. 1).

In some demonstrative embodiments, controller 110 (FIG. 1) may beconfigured to control, cause, and/or trigger a multicast transmitterstation implemented by device 102 (FIG. 1), to process transmission ofA-MPDU transmission 700 to a plurality of multicast receiver stations,e.g., the plurality of multicast receiver stations implemented bydevices 132, 160, 170, and/or 180 (FIG. 1), e.g., in accordance withmulticast communication sequences 400 (FIG. 4), 500 (FIG. 5), and/or 600(FIG. 6). In some demonstrative embodiments, controller 140 (FIG. 1) maybe configured to control, cause, and/or trigger a multicast receiverstation implemented by device 132 (FIG. 1), to process reception ofA-MPDU transmission 700, for example, from device 102 (FIG. 1), e.g., inaccordance with multicast communication sequences 400 (FIG. 4), 500(FIG. 5), and/or 600 (FIG. 6)

In some demonstrative embodiments, as shown in FIG. 7, A-MPDUtransmission 700 may include at least one first MPDU, e.g., MPDU 702,followed by a second MPDU, e.g., MPDU 704.

In some demonstrative embodiments, as shown in FIG. 7, MPDU 702 mayinclude the multicast frame, and MPDU 704 may include the trigger frame.

In some demonstrative embodiments, controller 110 (FIG. 1) may beconfigured to control, cause, and/or trigger the multicast transmitterstation to process transmission of A-MPDU transmission 700 to theplurality of multicast receiver stations, e.g., to transmit one or moremulticast frames and to trigger a MU Block ACK/ACK transmission as partof an aggregated transmission.

Referring back to FIG. 1, in some demonstrative embodiments, controller110 may be configured to address to the plurality of devices 132, 160,170, and/or 180 individually, for example, according to an individualaddressing scheme, e.g., as described below.

In some demonstrative embodiments, controller 110 may be configured toaddress to a group of two or more devices of the plurality of devices132, 160, 170, and/or 180, for example, according to a group addressingscheme, e.g., as described below.

In some demonstrative embodiments, controller 110 may be configured tohave the flexibility to select a type of the addressing scheme, e.g., asdescribed below.

In one example, controller 110 may select the type of addressing schemefor addressing the multicast transmission and/or for triggering the MUBlock ACK/ACK transmission, e.g., based on a number of intendedmulticast receiver stations to receive the multicast transmission, e.g.,devices 132, 160, 170, and/or 180.

In another example, controller 110 may have the flexibility to choosethe type of addressing scheme for addressing the multicast transmissionand/or for triggering the MU Block ACK/ACK transmission based on anyother additional or alternative criterion.

In some demonstrative embodiments, controller 110 may be configured toselect to use an individual addressing scheme for addressing themulticast transmission and/or for triggering the MU Block ACK/ACKtransmission, e.g., as described below.

In some demonstrative embodiments, the individual addressing scheme maybe advantageous, for example, at least as no specific multicast groupformation may be required.

For example, according to the individual addressing scheme, controller110 may be able to control the multicast transmission, for example,using knowledge about the existence of a plurality of multicast receiverstations, e.g., devices 132, 160, 170, and/or 180.

In some demonstrative embodiments, the individual addressing scheme maybe useful, for example, if addressed having a reduced size are used toidentify the multicast receiver stations, for example, if hashedaddresses, e.g., having a size, which is much less than 48 bits, areused.

In some demonstrative embodiments, the individual addressing scheme maybe useful, for example, if the number of multicast receiver stations ofa multicast transmission, e.g., devices 132, 160, 170, and/or 180, isrelatively small.

In some demonstrative embodiments, according to the individualaddressing scheme, controller 110 may be configured to control, cause,and/or trigger transmitter 104 to individually address devices 132, 160,170, and/or 180, e.g., as described below.

In some demonstrative embodiments, controller 110 may be configured tocontrol, cause, and/or trigger transmitter 104 to process transmissionof a transmission, e.g., a multicast transmission and/or a triggerframe, including two or more addresses of respective ones of the two ormore devices of the plurality of devices 132, 160, 170, and/or 180.

In some demonstrative embodiments, controller 110 may be configured tocontrol, cause, and/or trigger transmitter 104 to process transmissionof the two or more addresses as part of the multicast transmission.

In other embodiments, controller 110 may be configured to control,cause, and/or trigger transmitter 104 to process transmission of the twoor more addresses as part of the trigger frame subsequent to themulticast transmission.

In some demonstrative embodiments, an order of the addresses in themulticast transmission and/or the trigger frame may include an order atwhich the multicast receiver stations are to respond to the multicasttransmission and/or the trigger frame.

For example, controller 110 may be configured to control, cause, and/ortrigger receiver 106 to process reception of the MU ACK transmissionincluding two or more acknowledgements over two or more respectivesub-channels, the two or more sub-channels being based on an order ofthe two or more addresses.

For example, controller 110 may individually address all of theplurality of devices 132, 160, 170, and/or 180 in an order, which mayindicate the two or more sub-channels assigned for transmission of thetwo or more acknowledgements, e.g., as described below with respect toFIG. 8.

In other demonstrative embodiments, controller 110 may be configured tocontrol, cause, and/or trigger transmitter 104 to process transmissionof a specific sub-channel signaling for each device of the plurality ofdevices 132, 160, 170, and/or 180, for example, to enable each device ofthe plurality of devices 132, 160, 170, and/or 180 to determine asub-channel assigned for each device.

For example, controller 132 may be configured to control, cause, and/ortrigger transmitter 134 to process transmission of the MU ACKtransmission over a sub-channel, e.g., an OFDM RU, being based on arelative position of an address of the multicast receiver stationimplemented by device 132 in the two or more addresses, e.g., asdescribed below with reference to FIG. 8.

Reference is to FIG. 8, which schematically illustrates an individualaddressing scheme 800, in accordance with some demonstrativeembodiments.

In some demonstrative embodiments, individual addressing scheme 800 maybe configured to communicate a message, e.g., a multicast transmissionand/or a trigger message, including two or more addresses, from amulticast transmitter station, e.g., multicast transmitter station 202(FIG. 2), to a plurality of multicast receiver stations, for example,four multicast receiver stations, e.g., the stations STAT, STA2, STA3,and STA4. The two or more addresses may include addresses of respectiveones of two or more multicast receiver stations of the plurality ofmulticast receiver stations.

In some demonstrative embodiments, controller 110 (FIG. 1) may beconfigured to control, cause, and/or trigger the multicast transmitterstation implemented by device 102 (FIG. 1), to process transmission of amessage, e.g., a multicast transmission and/or a trigger message,including two or more addresses, to the plurality of multicast receiverstations, e.g., the plurality of multicast receiver stations implementedby devices 132, 160, 170, and/or 180 (FIG. 1). The two or more addressesmay be configured to implicitly assign assigned sub-channels, e.g.,OFDMA RUs, for a MU ACK transmission from the plurality of multicastreceiver stations.

In some demonstrative embodiments, as shown in FIG. 8, the plurality ofmulticast receiver stations may be configured to process transmission ofthe MU ACK transmission including two or more acknowledgements over twoor more respective sub-channels, for example, based on an order of twoor more addresses. For example, controller 140 (FIG. 1) may beconfigured to control, cause, and/or trigger the multicast transmitterstation implemented by device 132 (FIG. 1) to operate as one of STA1,ST2, ST3 or ST4 of FIG. 8.

In some demonstrative embodiments, as shown in FIG. 8, STA1 may transmitan acknowledgement 822 over a sub-channel 812, for example, ifsub-channel 812 is assigned to STA1 according to the order of addressesin the message received from the multicast transmitter station.

In some demonstrative embodiments, as shown in FIG. 8, STA2 may transmitan acknowledgement 824 over a sub-channel 814, for example, ifsub-channel 814 is assigned to STA2 according to the order of addressesin the message received from the multicast transmitter station.

In some demonstrative embodiments, as shown in FIG. 8, STA3 may transmitan acknowledgement 826 over a sub-channel 816, for example, ifsub-channel 816 is assigned to STA3 according to the order of addressesin the message received from the multicast transmitter station.

In some demonstrative embodiments, as shown in FIG. 8, STA4 may transmitan acknowledgement 828 over a sub-channel 818, for example, ifsub-channel 818 is assigned to STA4 according to the order of addressesin the message received from the multicast transmitter station.

Referring back to FIG. 1, in some demonstrative embodiments, a number ofthe multicast receiver stations may exceed a number of availablesub-channels allocated for the MU ACK. Accordingly, only some of themulticast receiver stations may be able to perform a transmission aspart of a MU ACK.

In some demonstrative embodiments, a message, e.g., a multicasttransmission or a trigger message, may include only addresses of a firstplurality of multicast receiver stations, which may be assigned to thesub-channels of the MU ACK frame, while a second plurality of multicastreceiver stations may not be addressed by the message.

In some demonstrative embodiments, one or more devices of the secondplurality of devices, e.g., one or more of devices 132, 160, 170, and/or180, may be configured to select not to respond with an acknowledgement.

In some demonstrative embodiments, one or more devices of the secondplurality of devices, e.g., one or more of devices 132, 160, 170, and/or180, may be configured to wait for a trigger frame to trigger anadditional acknowledgement, e.g., as described above with reference toFIG. 6.

In some demonstrative embodiments, devices 102, 132, 160, 170, and/or180 may be configured to support a Retransmission according to theindividual addressing scheme, e.g., as described below.

In some demonstrative embodiments, controller 110 may be configured tocontrol, cause, and/or trigger transmitter 104 to process retransmissionof the multicast transmission to one or more devices of the plurality ofdevices 132, 160, 170, and/or 180, for example, after decoding the MUBlock ACK/ACK transmission from the plurality of devices 132, 160, 170,and/or 180.

In some demonstrative embodiments, controller 110 may be configured tocontrol, cause, and/or trigger transmitter 104 to process retransmissionof the multicast transmission, for example, only to one or more devicesof the plurality of devices 132, 160, 170, and/or 180, from which the MUBlock ACK/ACK transmission is not received.

In some demonstrative embodiments, controller 110 may be configured touse a group addressing scheme to address the plurality of multicastreceiver stations, e.g., as described below.

In some demonstrative embodiments, controller 110 may be configured tocontrol, cause, and/or trigger transmitter 104 to process transmissionof a message, e.g., the multicast transmission or the trigger frame,including a group address, to trigger the MU ACK transmission from agroup of two or more devices of the plurality of devices 132, 160, 170,and/or 180.

For example, the group address may be configured to indicate a group oftwo or more multicast receiver devices, e.g., including two or more ofdevices 132, 160, 170, and/or 180. The group address may be configured,for example, to indicate an order, e.g., of sub-channels, in whichdevices of the group are to transmit the MU ACK transmission, e.g., asdescribed below with respect to FIG. 9.

Reference is to FIG. 9, which schematically illustrates agroup-addressing scheme 900, in accordance with some demonstrativeembodiments.

In some demonstrative embodiments, group-addressing scheme 900 may beconfigured to address a group of multicast receiver stations using agroup address. The group address may be included in a messagecommunicated from a multicast transmitter station, e.g., multicasttransmitter station 202 (FIG. 2), to a plurality of multicast receiverstations, for example, four multicast receiver stations, e.g., thestations STA1, STA2, STA3, and STA4. For example, controller 140(FIG. 1) may be configured to control, cause, and/or trigger themulticast transmitter station implemented by device 132 (FIG. 1) tooperate as one of STA1, ST2, ST3 or ST4 of FIG. 9.

In some demonstrative embodiments, as shown in FIG. 9, the multicasttransmitter station may transmit a trigger frame 906 to STA1, STA2,STA3, and/or STA4.

For example, controller 110 (FIG. 1) may be configured to control,cause, and/or trigger the multicast transmitter station implemented bydevice 102 (FIG. 1), to process transmission of trigger frame 906, inorder to trigger a MU Block ACK/ACK transmission 908 from a group of twoor more multicast receiver stations of the plurality of multicastreceiver stations, e.g., the plurality of multicast receiver stationsimplemented by devices 132, 160, 170, and/or 180 (FIG. 1).

Referring back to FIG. 1, in some demonstrative embodiments, controller110 may be configured to control, cause, and/or trigger transmitter 104to process transmission of the group addressed trigger frame togetherwith a multicast frame e.g., as described above with reference to FIG.7.

In other demonstrative embodiments, controller 110 may be configured tocontrol, cause, and/or trigger transmitter 104 to process transmissionof a multicast frame or any other, e.g., special, frame to trigger theMU Block ACK/ACK transmission from the group of two or more devices ofthe plurality of devices 132, 160, 170, and/or 180, e.g., as describedabove.

In some demonstrative embodiments, the group addressed trigger frame maybe configured to provide signaling of a resource allocation for UL OFDMAtransmission, e.g., in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 Standards, e.g.,an IEEE 802.1 lax standard.

In some demonstrative embodiments, controller 110 may be configured tocontrol, cause, and/or trigger transmitter 104 to transmit the groupaddressed trigger frame, which may trigger an implicit MU Block ACK/ACKtransmission from the group of two or more devices of the plurality ofdevices 132, 160, 170, and/or 180, for example, as a priority one packetafter receiving the group addressed trigger frame.

In some demonstrative embodiments, devices 132, 160, 170, and/or 180 mayalso transmit any other data packets, for example, if devices 132, 160,170, and/or 180 do not currently have any MU ACK transmission to send.

For example, devices 132, 160, 170, and/or 180 may transmit other datapackets due to an error in reception of the multicast transmission,e.g., to achieve improved utilization of the bandwidth.

In some demonstrative embodiments, controller 110 may be configured tocontrol, cause, and/or trigger transmitter 104 to process transmissionof multiple group addressed trigger frames, for example, if the numberof the multicast receiver stations is larger than a number of availablesub-channels.

In some demonstrative embodiments, controller 110 may be configured tocontrol, cause, and/or trigger transmitter 104 to select not to triggerthe MU ACK transmission from a group of one or more devices in the groupof devices assigned to a multicast, for example, if controller 110selects to transmit the multicast transmission only to a subset ofdevices in the group of devices assigned to the multicast group.

For example, transmitter 104 may transmit the multicast transmissiononly to devices 160, 170, and/or 180, for example, if controller 110selects not to form another group inside the a group of devices, e.g.,including devices 132, 160, 170, and/or 180, assigned to the multicastgroup.

In some demonstrative embodiments, devices 102, 132, 160, 170, and/or180 may be configured to support a Retransmission under the groupaddressing scheme, e.g., as described below.

In some demonstrative embodiments, controller 110 may be configured tocontrol, cause, and/or trigger transmitter 104 to process retransmissionof the multicast frame, e.g., after decoding the MU ACK transmissionfrom multicast receiver stations.

In some demonstrative embodiments, controller 110 may be configured tocontrol, cause, and/or trigger transmitter 104 to process transmissionof the group addressed trigger frame only to one or more devices of themulticast receiver stations, from which an acknowledgement of receipt ofthe multicast frame was not successfully received.

In some demonstrative embodiments, controller 110 may be configured tomaintain a list of the multicast receiver stations, which failed torespond with the acknowledgement for a particular multicast frame.

Reference is made to FIG. 10, which schematically illustrates aflowchart of a method of multicast communication, in accordance withsome demonstrative embodiments. For example, one or more of theoperations of the method of FIG. 10 may be performed by one or moreelements of a system, e.g., system 100 (FIG. 1); a wirelesscommunication device, e.g., wireless communication devices 102, 132,160, 170, and/or 180 (FIG. 1); a radio, e.g., radio 184 and/or radio 194(FIG. 1); a controller, e.g., controller 110 and/or controller 140 (FIG.1); and/or a message processor, e.g., message processor 111 and/ormessage processor 142 (FIG. 1).

As shown in block 1002, the method may include communicating a multicasttransmission. For example, device 102 (FIG. 1) may transmit one or moremulticast transmissions, e.g., as described above with reference toFIGS. 3, 4, 5, 6 and/or 7.

As shown in block 1004, the method may include soliciting a MU BlockACK/ACK transmission. For example, device 102 (FIG. 1) may solicit oneor more MU Block ACK/ACK transmissions, e.g., after communicating themulticast transmission.

In some demonstrative embodiments, in a first scheme (“scheme 1”), theMU Block ACK/ACK may follow right after the multicast transmission,e.g., as described above with reference to FIG. 3.

In other embodiments, in a second scheme (“scheme 2”), the MU BlockACK/ACK may be solicited, for example, by a trigger frame, e.g., asdescribed above with reference to FIGS. 4, 5, and/or 6.

In some demonstrative embodiments, scheme 1 and scheme 2 may becombined, for example, to enable using scheme 2 multiple times, forexample, to solicit all the MU Block ACKs/ACKs, e.g., as discussed abovewith reference to FIGS. 4, 5, and/or 6.

Reference is made to FIG. 11, which schematically illustrates a methodof processing transmission of a multicast communication, in accordancewith some demonstrative embodiments. In some demonstrative embodiments,one or more of the operations of the method of FIG. 11 may be performedby one or more elements of a system, e.g., system 100 (FIG. 1); awireless communication device, e.g., wireless communication devices 102,132, 160, 170, and/or 180 (FIG. 1); a radio, e.g., radio 184 and/orradio 194 (FIG. 1); a controller, e.g., controller 110 and/or controller140 (FIG. 1); and/or a message processor, e.g., message processor 111and/or message processor 142 (FIG. 1).

As indicated at block 1102, the method may include processingtransmission of a multicast transmission to a plurality of devices. Forexample, device 102 (FIG. 1) may process transmission of the multicasttransmission to devices 132, 160, 170, and/or 180 (FIG. 1), e.g., asdescribed above.

As indicated at block 1114, processing transmission of the multicasttransmission to the plurality of devices may include individuallyaddressing the plurality of devices. For example, device 102 (FIG. 1)may individually address devices 132, 160, 170, and/or 180 (FIG. 1),e.g., as described above.

As indicated at block 1116, processing transmission of the multicasttransmission to the plurality of devices may include addressing theplurality of devices using a group address. For example, device 102(FIG. 1) may address devices 132, 160, 170, and/or 180 (FIG. 1) using agroup address, e.g., as described above.

As indicated at block 1104, the method may include processingtransmission of at least one trigger frame to trigger at least one MUacknowledgment transmission. For example, device 102 (FIG. 1) mayprocess transmission of the at least one trigger frame to trigger the atleast one MU acknowledgment transmission, e.g., as described above.

As indicated at block 1118, processing transmission of the at least onetrigger frame to trigger the at least one MU acknowledgment transmissionmay include individually addressing the plurality of devices. Forexample, device 102 (FIG. 1) may individually address devices 132, 160,170, and/or 180 (FIG. 1), e.g., as described above.

As indicated at block 1120, processing transmission of the at least onetrigger frame to trigger the at least one MU acknowledgment transmissionmay include addressing the plurality of devices using a group address.For example, device 102 (FIG. 1) may address devices 132, 160, 170,and/or 180 (FIG. 1) using a group address, e.g., as described above.

As indicated at block 1108, the method may include processing receptionof the at least one MU acknowledgement transmission from two or moredevices of the plurality of devices. For example, device 102 (FIG. 1)may process reception of the at least one MU acknowledgementtransmission from two or more of devices 132, 160, 170, and/or 180 (FIG.1), e.g., as described above.

As indicated at block 1110, processing reception of the at least one MUacknowledgement transmission may include processing reception of asingle MU acknowledgement transmission from all of the plurality ofdevices. For example, device 102 (FIG. 1) may process reception of asingle MU acknowledgement transmission from all of devices 132, 160,170, and/or 180 (FIG. 1), e.g., as described above.

As indicated at block 1112, processing reception of the at least one MUacknowledgement transmission may include processing reception of a firstMU acknowledgement from a first group of two or more devices of theplurality of devices, and a second MU acknowledgement from a secondgroup of two or more devices of the plurality of devices. For example,device 102 (FIG. 1) may process reception of a first MU acknowledgementfrom devices 132 and 160 (FIG. 1), and a second MU acknowledgement fromdevices 170 and 180 (FIG. 1), e.g., as described above.

Reference is made to FIG. 12, which schematically illustrates a productof manufacture 1200, in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments.Product 1200 may include a non-transitory machine-readable storagemedium 1202 to store logic 1204, which may be used, for example, toperform at least part of the functionality of device 102 (FIG. 1),device 132 (FIG. 1), device 160 (FIG. 1), device 170 (FIG. 1), device180 (FIG. 1), radio 184 (FIG. 1), radio 194 (FIG. 1), transmitter 104(FIG. 1), transmitter 134 (FIG. 1), receiver 106 (FIG. 1), receiver 136(FIG. 1), controller 110 (FIG. 1), controller 140 (FIG. 1), messageprocessor 111 (FIG. 1), and/or message processor 141 (FIG. 1), and/or toperform one or more operations described above with reference to FIGS.2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and/.or 11, and/or one or more otheroperations described herein. The phrase “non-transitory machine-readablemedium” is directed to include all computer-readable media, with thesole exception being a transitory propagating signal.

In some demonstrative embodiments, product 1200 and/or machine-readablestorage medium 1202 may include one or more types of computer-readablestorage media capable of storing data, including volatile memory,non-volatile memory, removable or non-removable memory, erasable ornon-erasable memory, writeable or re-writeable memory, and the like. Forexample, machine-readable storage medium 1202 may include, RAM, DRAM,Double-Data-Rate DRAM (DDR-DRAM), SDRAM, static RAM (SRAM), ROM,programmable ROM (PROM), erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), electricallyerasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), Compact Disk ROM (CD-ROM), CompactDisk Recordable (CD-R), Compact Disk Rewriteable (CD-RW), flash memory(e.g., NOR or NAND flash memory), content addressable memory (CAM),polymer memory, phase-change memory, ferroelectric memory,silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon (SONOS) memory, a disk, a floppydisk, a hard drive, an optical disk, a magnetic disk, a card, a magneticcard, an optical card, a tape, a cassette, and the like. Thecomputer-readable storage media may include any suitable media involvedwith downloading or transferring a computer program from a remotecomputer to a requesting computer carried by data signals embodied in acarrier wave or other propagation medium through a communication link,e.g., a modem, radio or network connection.

In some demonstrative embodiments, logic 1204 may include instructions,data, and/or code, which, if executed by a machine, may cause themachine to perform a method, process and/or operations as describedherein. The machine may include, for example, any suitable processingplatform, computing platform, computing device, processing device,computing system, processing system, computer, processor, or the like,and may be implemented using any suitable combination of hardware,software, firmware, and the like.

In some demonstrative embodiments, logic 1204 may include, or may beimplemented as, software, a software module, an application, a program,a subroutine, instructions, an instruction set, computing code, words,values, symbols, and the like. The instructions may include any suitabletype of code, such as source code, compiled code, interpreted code,executable code, static code, dynamic code, and the like. Theinstructions may be implemented according to a predefined computerlanguage, manner or syntax, for instructing a processor to perform acertain function. The instructions may be implemented using any suitablehigh-level, low-level, object-oriented, visual, compiled and/orinterpreted programming language, such as C, C++, Java, BASIC, Matlab,Pascal, Visual BASIC, assembly language, machine code, and the like.

Examples

The following examples pertain to further embodiments.

Example 1 includes an apparatus comprising circuitry configured to causea wireless device to process transmission of a multicast transmission toa plurality of devices; and process reception of at least one Multi-User(MU) acknowledgement transmission from two or more devices of theplurality of devices, the MU acknowledgement transmission to acknowledgereceipt of the multicast transmission by the two or more devices.

Example 2 includes the subject matter of Example 1, and optionally,wherein the apparatus is configured to cause the wireless device toprocess reception of a single MU acknowledgement transmission from allof the plurality of devices.

Example 3 includes the subject matter of Example 1, and optionally,wherein the apparatus is configured to cause the wireless device toprocess reception of at least first and second MU acknowledgementtransmissions, the first MU acknowledgement from a first group of two ormore devices of the plurality of devices, and the second MUacknowledgement from a second group of two or more devices of theplurality of devices.

Example 4 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 1-3, andoptionally, wherein the apparatus is configured to cause the wirelessdevice to process transmission of at least one trigger frame to triggerthe at least one MU acknowledgment transmission.

Example 5 includes the subject matter of Example 4, and optionally,wherein the apparatus is configured to cause the wireless device tosubsequent to the multicast transmission, process reception of a firstMU acknowledgment transmission from a first group of two or more devicesof the plurality of devices; and subsequent to the first MUacknowledgement transmission, process transmission of a trigger frame totrigger a second MU acknowledgement from a second group of two or moredevices of the plurality of devices.

Example 6 includes the subject matter of Example 4, and optionally,wherein the apparatus is configured to cause the wireless device toprocess transmission of at least first and second trigger frames, thefirst trigger frame to trigger a first MU acknowledgement from a firstgroup of two or more devices of the plurality of devices, and the secondtrigger frame to trigger a second MU acknowledgement from a second groupof two or more devices of the plurality of devices.

Example 7 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 4-6, andoptionally, wherein the multicast transmission comprises one or moremulticast frames followed by the at least one multicast trigger frame.

Example 8 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 4-7, andoptionally, wherein the trigger frame comprises a group addressedtrigger frame to trigger a MU acknowledgement transmission from a groupof two or more devices of the plurality of devices, the group addressedtrigger frame comprising a group address of the group of two or moredevices.

Example 9 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 1-7, andoptionally, wherein the apparatus is configured to cause the wirelessdevice to process transmission of a message including two or moreaddresses of respective ones of the two or more devices, the MUacknowledgement transmission including two or more acknowledgements overtwo or more respective sub-channels, the two or more sub-channels beingbased on an order of the two or more addresses.

Example 10 includes the subject matter of Example 9, and optionally,wherein the apparatus is configured to cause the wireless device toprocess transmission of the two or more addresses as part of themulticast transmission.

Example 11 includes the subject matter of Example 9, and optionally,wherein the apparatus is configured to cause the wireless device toprocess transmission of the two or more addresses as part of a triggerframe subsequent to the multicast transmission.

Example 12 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 1-11, andoptionally, wherein the MU acknowledgement transmission comprises a MUnormal acknowledgement transmission or a MU Block acknowledgementtransmission.

Example 13 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 1-12, andoptionally, wherein the MU acknowledgement transmission comprises anOrthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) transmission.

Example 14 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 1-13, andoptionally, comprising one or more antennas, a radio, a memory and aprocessor.

Example 15 includes a system comprising a wireless communication device,the wireless communication device comprising one or more antennas; amemory; a processor; and a radio to transmit a multicast transmission toa plurality of devices, and to receive at least one Multi-User (MU)acknowledgement transmission from two or more devices of the pluralityof devices, the MU acknowledgement transmission to acknowledge receiptof the multicast transmission by the two or more devices.

Example 16 includes the subject matter of Example 15, and optionally,wherein the wireless device is configured to process reception of asingle MU acknowledgement transmission from all of the plurality ofdevices.

Example 17 includes the subject matter of Example 15, and optionally,wherein the wireless device is configured to process reception of atleast first and second MU acknowledgement transmissions, the first MUacknowledgement from a first group of two or more devices of theplurality of devices, and the second MU acknowledgement from a secondgroup of two or more devices of the plurality of devices.

Example 18 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 15-17, andoptionally, wherein the wireless device is configured to processtransmission of at least one trigger frame to trigger the at least oneMU acknowledgment transmission.

Example 19 includes the subject matter of Example 18, and optionally,wherein the wireless device is configured to subsequent to the multicasttransmission, process reception of a first MU acknowledgmenttransmission from a first group of two or more devices of the pluralityof devices; and subsequent to the first MU acknowledgement transmission,process transmission of a trigger frame to trigger a second MUacknowledgement from a second group of two or more devices of theplurality of devices.

Example 20 includes the subject matter of Example 18, and optionally,wherein the wireless device is configured to process transmission of atleast first and second trigger frames, the first trigger frame totrigger a first MU acknowledgement from a first group of two or moredevices of the plurality of devices, and the second trigger frame totrigger a second MU acknowledgement from a second group of two or moredevices of the plurality of devices.

Example 21 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 18-20, andoptionally, wherein the multicast transmission comprises one or moremulticast frames followed by the at least one multicast trigger frame.

Example 22 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 18-21, andoptionally, wherein the trigger frame comprises a group addressedtrigger frame to trigger a MU acknowledgement transmission from a groupof two or more devices of the plurality of devices, the group addressedtrigger frame comprising a group address of the group of two or moredevices.

Example 23 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 15-21, andoptionally, wherein the wireless device is configured to processtransmission of a message including two or more addresses of respectiveones of the two or more devices, the MU acknowledgement transmissionincluding two or more acknowledgements over two or more respectivesub-channels, the two or more sub-channels being based on an order ofthe two or more addresses.

Example 24 includes the subject matter of Example 23, and optionally,wherein the wireless device is configured to process transmission of thetwo or more addresses as part of the multicast transmission.

Example 25 includes the subject matter of Example 23, and optionally,wherein the wireless device is configured to process transmission of thetwo or more addresses as part of a trigger frame subsequent to themulticast transmission.

Example 26 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 15-25, andoptionally, wherein the MU acknowledgement transmission comprises a MUnormal acknowledgement transmission or a MU Block acknowledgementtransmission.

Example 27 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 15-26, andoptionally, wherein the MU acknowledgement transmission comprises anOrthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) transmission.

Example 28 includes a method to be performed at a wireless communicationdevice, the method comprising transmitting a multicast transmission to aplurality of devices; and receiving at least one Multi-User (MU)acknowledgement transmission from two or more devices of the pluralityof devices, the MU acknowledgement transmission to acknowledge receiptof the multicast transmission by the two or more devices.

Example 29 includes the subject matter of Example 28, and optionally,comprising processing reception of a single MU acknowledgementtransmission from all of the plurality of devices.

Example 30 includes the subject matter of Example 28, and optionally,comprising processing reception of at least first and second MUacknowledgement transmissions, the first MU acknowledgement from a firstgroup of two or more devices of the plurality of devices, and the secondMU acknowledgement from a second group of two or more devices of theplurality of devices.

Example 31 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 28-30, andoptionally, comprising processing transmission of at least one triggerframe to trigger the at least one MU acknowledgment transmission.

Example 32 includes the subject matter of Example 31, and optionally,comprising subsequent to the multicast transmission, processingreception of a first MU acknowledgment transmission from a first groupof two or more devices of the plurality of devices; and subsequent tothe first MU acknowledgement transmission, processing transmission of atrigger frame to trigger a second MU acknowledgement from a second groupof two or more devices of the plurality of devices.

Example 33 includes the subject matter of Example 31, and optionally,comprising processing transmission of at least first and second triggerframes, the first trigger frame to trigger a first MU acknowledgementfrom a first group of two or more devices of the plurality of devices,and the second trigger frame to trigger a second MU acknowledgement froma second group of two or more devices of the plurality of devices.

Example 34 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 31-33, andoptionally, wherein the multicast transmission comprises one or moremulticast frames followed by the at least one multicast trigger frame.

Example 35 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 31-34, andoptionally, wherein the trigger frame comprises a group addressedtrigger frame to trigger a MU acknowledgement transmission from a groupof two or more devices of the plurality of devices, the group addressedtrigger frame comprising a group address of the group of two or moredevices.

Example 36 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 28-34, andoptionally, comprising processing transmission of a message includingtwo or more addresses of respective ones of the two or more devices, theMU acknowledgement transmission including two or more acknowledgementsover two or more respective sub-channels, the two or more sub-channelsbeing based on an order of the two or more addresses.

Example 37 includes the subject matter of Example 36, and optionally,comprising processing transmission of the two or more addresses as partof the multicast transmission.

Example 38 includes the subject matter of Example 36, and optionally,comprising processing transmission of the two or more addresses as partof a trigger frame subsequent to the multicast transmission.

Example 39 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 28-38, andoptionally, wherein the MU acknowledgement transmission comprises a MUnormal acknowledgement transmission or a MU Block acknowledgementtransmission.

Example 40 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 28-39, andoptionally, wherein the MU acknowledgement transmission comprises anOrthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) transmission.

Example 41 includes a product including one or more tangiblecomputer-readable non-transitory storage media comprisingcomputer-executable instructions operable to, when executed by at leastone computer processor, enable the at least one computer processor toimplement one or more operations at a wireless communication device, theoperations comprising transmitting a multicast transmission to aplurality of devices; and receiving at least one Multi-User (MU)acknowledgement transmission from two or more devices of the pluralityof devices, the MU acknowledgement transmission to acknowledge receiptof the multicast transmission by the two or more devices.

Example 42 includes the subject matter of Example 41, and optionally,wherein the operations comprise processing reception of a single MUacknowledgement transmission from all of the plurality of devices.

Example 43 includes the subject matter of Example 41, and optionally,wherein the operations comprise processing reception of at least firstand second MU acknowledgement transmissions, the first MUacknowledgement from a first group of two or more devices of theplurality of devices, and the second MU acknowledgement from a secondgroup of two or more devices of the plurality of devices.

Example 44 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 41-43, andoptionally, wherein the operations comprise processing transmission ofat least one trigger frame to trigger the at least one MU acknowledgmenttransmission.

Example 45 includes the subject matter of Example 44, and optionally,wherein the operations comprise subsequent to the multicasttransmission, processing reception of a first MU acknowledgmenttransmission from a first group of two or more devices of the pluralityof devices; and subsequent to the first MU acknowledgement transmission,processing transmission of a trigger frame to trigger a second MUacknowledgement from a second group of two or more devices of theplurality of devices.

Example 46 includes the subject matter of Example 44, and optionally,wherein the operations comprise processing transmission of at leastfirst and second trigger frames, the first trigger frame to trigger afirst MU acknowledgement from a first group of two or more devices ofthe plurality of devices, and the second trigger frame to trigger asecond MU acknowledgement from a second group of two or more devices ofthe plurality of devices.

Example 47 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 44-46, andoptionally, wherein the multicast transmission comprises one or moremulticast frames followed by the at least one multicast trigger frame.

Example 48 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 44-47, andoptionally, wherein the trigger frame comprises a group addressedtrigger frame to trigger a MU acknowledgement transmission from a groupof two or more devices of the plurality of devices, the group addressedtrigger frame comprising a group address of the group of two or moredevices.

Example 49 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 41-47, andoptionally, wherein the operations comprise processing transmission of amessage including two or more addresses of respective ones of the two ormore devices, the MU acknowledgement transmission including two or moreacknowledgements over two or more respective sub-channels, the two ormore sub-channels being based on an order of the two or more addresses.

Example 50 includes the subject matter of Example 49, and optionally,wherein the operations comprise processing transmission of the two ormore addresses as part of the multicast transmission.

Example 51 includes the subject matter of Example 49, and optionally,wherein the operations comprise processing transmission of the two ormore addresses as part of a trigger frame subsequent to the multicasttransmission.

Example 52 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 41-51, andoptionally, wherein the MU acknowledgement transmission comprises a MUnormal acknowledgement transmission or a MU Block acknowledgementtransmission.

Example 53 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 41-52, andoptionally, wherein the MU acknowledgement transmission comprises anOrthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) transmission.

Example 54 includes an apparatus of wireless communication by a wirelessdevice, the apparatus comprising means for transmitting a multicasttransmission to a plurality of devices; and means for receiving at leastone Multi-User (MU) acknowledgement transmission from two or moredevices of the plurality of devices, the MU acknowledgement transmissionto acknowledge receipt of the multicast transmission by the two or moredevices.

Example 55 includes the subject matter of Example 54, and optionally,comprising means for processing reception of a single MU acknowledgementtransmission from all of the plurality of devices.

Example 56 includes the subject matter of Example 54, and optionally,comprising means for processing reception of at least first and secondMU acknowledgement transmissions, the first MU acknowledgement from afirst group of two or more devices of the plurality of devices, and thesecond MU acknowledgement from a second group of two or more devices ofthe plurality of devices.

Example 57 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 54-56, andoptionally, comprising means for processing transmission of at least onetrigger frame to trigger the at least one MU acknowledgmenttransmission.

Example 58 includes the subject matter of Example 57, and optionally,comprising means for subsequent to the multicast transmission,processing reception of a first MU acknowledgment transmission from afirst group of two or more devices of the plurality of devices; andsubsequent to the first MU acknowledgement transmission, processingtransmission of a trigger frame to trigger a second MU acknowledgementfrom a second group of two or more devices of the plurality of devices.

Example 59 includes the subject matter of Example 57, and optionally,comprising means for processing transmission of at least first andsecond trigger frames, the first trigger frame to trigger a first MUacknowledgement from a first group of two or more devices of theplurality of devices, and the second trigger frame to trigger a secondMU acknowledgement from a second group of two or more devices of theplurality of devices.

Example 60 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 57-59, andoptionally, wherein the multicast transmission comprises one or moremulticast frames followed by the at least one multicast trigger frame.

Example 61 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 57-60, andoptionally, wherein the trigger frame comprises a group addressedtrigger frame to trigger a MU acknowledgement transmission from a groupof two or more devices of the plurality of devices, the group addressedtrigger frame comprising a group address of the group of two or moredevices.

Example 62 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 54-60, andoptionally, comprising means for processing transmission of a messageincluding two or more addresses of respective ones of the two or moredevices, the MU acknowledgement transmission including two or moreacknowledgements over two or more respective sub-channels, the two ormore sub-channels being based on an order of the two or more addresses.

Example 63 includes the subject matter of Example 62, and optionally,comprising means for processing transmission of the two or moreaddresses as part of the multicast transmission.

Example 64 includes the subject matter of Example 62, and optionally,comprising means for processing transmission of the two or moreaddresses as part of a trigger frame subsequent to the multicasttransmission.

Example 65 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 54-64, andoptionally, wherein the MU acknowledgement transmission comprises a MUnormal acknowledgement transmission or a MU Block acknowledgementtransmission.

Example 66 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 54-65, andoptionally, wherein the MU acknowledgement transmission comprises anOrthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) transmission.

Functions, operations, components and/or features described herein withreference to one or more embodiments, may be combined with, or may beutilized in combination with, one or more other functions, operations,components and/or features described herein with reference to one ormore other embodiments, or vice versa.

While certain features have been illustrated and described herein, manymodifications, substitutions, changes, and equivalents may occur tothose skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that theappended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changesas fall within the true spirit of the disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus comprising circuitry configured tocause a wireless device to: process transmission of a multicasttransmission to a plurality of devices; and process reception of atleast one Multi-User (MU) acknowledgement transmission from two or moredevices of the plurality of devices, the MU acknowledgement transmissionto acknowledge receipt of the multicast transmission by the two or moredevices.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 configured to cause the wirelessdevice to process reception of a single MU acknowledgement transmissionfrom all of the plurality of devices.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1configured to cause the wireless device to process reception of at leastfirst and second MU acknowledgement transmissions, the first MUacknowledgement from a first group of two or more devices of theplurality of devices, and the second MU acknowledgement from a secondgroup of two or more devices of the plurality of devices.
 4. Theapparatus of claim 1 configured to cause the wireless device to processtransmission of at least one trigger frame to trigger the at least oneMU acknowledgment transmission.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4 configuredto cause the wireless device to: subsequent to the multicasttransmission, process reception of a first MU acknowledgmenttransmission from a first group of two or more devices of the pluralityof devices; and subsequent to the first MU acknowledgement transmission,process transmission of a trigger frame to trigger a second MUacknowledgement from a second group of two or more devices of saidplurality of devices.
 6. The apparatus of claim 4 configured to causethe wireless device to process transmission of at least first and secondtrigger frames, the first trigger frame to trigger a first MUacknowledgement from a first group of two or more devices of saidplurality of devices, and the second trigger frame to trigger a secondMU acknowledgement from a second group of two or more devices of saidplurality of devices.
 7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the multicasttransmission comprises one or more multicast frames followed by the atleast one multicast trigger frame.
 8. The apparatus of claim 4, whereinthe trigger frame comprises a group addressed trigger frame to trigger aMU acknowledgement transmission from a group of two or more devices ofsaid plurality of devices, the group addressed trigger frame comprisinga group address of said group of two or more devices.
 9. The apparatusof claim 1 configured to cause the wireless device to processtransmission of a message including two or more addresses of respectiveones of the two or more devices, the MU acknowledgement transmissionincluding two or more acknowledgements over two or more respectivesub-channels, the two or more sub-channels being based on an order ofthe two or more addresses.
 10. The apparatus of claim 9 configured tocause the wireless device to process transmission of the two or moreaddresses as part of the multicast transmission.
 11. The apparatus ofclaim 9 configured to cause the wireless device to process transmissionof the two or more addresses as part of a trigger frame subsequent tothe multicast transmission.
 12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the MUacknowledgement transmission comprises a MU normal acknowledgementtransmission or a MU Block acknowledgement transmission.
 13. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the MU acknowledgement transmissioncomprises an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA)transmission.
 14. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising one or moreantennas, a radio, a memory and a processor.
 15. A system comprising awireless communication device, the wireless communication devicecomprising: one or more antennas; a memory; a processor; and a radio totransmit a multicast transmission to a plurality of devices, and toreceive at least one Multi-User (MU) acknowledgement transmission fromtwo or more devices of the plurality of devices, the MU acknowledgementtransmission to acknowledge receipt of the multicast transmission by thetwo or more devices.
 16. The system of claim 15, wherein the wirelessdevice is configured to process reception of at least first and secondMU acknowledgement transmissions, the first MU acknowledgement from afirst group of two or more devices of the plurality of devices, and thesecond MU acknowledgement from a second group of two or more devices ofthe plurality of devices.
 17. The system of claim 15, wherein thewireless device is configured to process transmission of at least onetrigger frame to trigger the at least one MU acknowledgmenttransmission.
 18. A method to be performed at a wireless communicationdevice, the method comprising: transmitting a multicast transmission toa plurality of devices; and receiving at least one Multi-User (MU)acknowledgement transmission from two or more devices of the pluralityof devices, the MU acknowledgement transmission to acknowledge receiptof the multicast transmission by the two or more devices.
 19. The methodof claim 18 comprising processing transmission of at least one triggerframe to trigger the at least one MU acknowledgment transmission.
 20. Aproduct including one or more tangible computer-readable non-transitorystorage media comprising computer-executable instructions operable to,when executed by at least one computer processor, enable the at leastone computer processor to implement one or more operations at a wirelesscommunication device, the operations comprising: transmitting amulticast transmission to a plurality of devices; and receiving at leastone Multi-User (MU) acknowledgement transmission from two or moredevices of the plurality of devices, the MU acknowledgement transmissionto acknowledge receipt of the multicast transmission by the two or moredevices.
 21. The product of claim 20, wherein the operations compriseprocessing reception of a single MU acknowledgement transmission fromall of the plurality of devices.
 22. The product of claim 20, whereinthe operations comprise processing reception of at least first andsecond MU acknowledgement transmissions, the first MU acknowledgementfrom a first group of two or more devices of the plurality of devices,and the second MU acknowledgement from a second group of two or moredevices of the plurality of devices.
 23. The product of claim 20,wherein the operations comprise processing transmission of at least onetrigger frame to trigger the at least one MU acknowledgmenttransmission.
 24. The product of claim 23, wherein the trigger framecomprises a group addressed trigger frame to trigger a MUacknowledgement transmission from a group of two or more devices of saidplurality of devices, the group addressed trigger frame comprising agroup address of said group of two or more devices.
 25. The product ofclaim 20, wherein the operations comprise processing transmission of amessage including two or more addresses of respective ones of the two ormore devices, the MU acknowledgement transmission including two or moreacknowledgements over two or more respective sub-channels, the two ormore sub-channels being based on an order of the two or more addresses.